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Observe selected HTTP status codes

Observe how fixed success, redirect, client-error, and rate-limit statuses appear to a client.

Difficulty
beginner
Published
July 13, 2026
Last reviewed
Review due
  • status codes
  • messages

Prediction

Changing the exact status changes the response semantics even when the client and target stay the same. A HEAD request should expose metadata without response content.

Controlled observation

The future control will select only reviewed fixed responses for 200, 404, and 429; it will show status, fields, and bounded content separately.

Explanation

The first digit gives a class, while the complete code defines the result. An application message cannot redefine that HTTP meaning.

Controlled exercise

Run this observation

Compare the HTTP status, response content, and HEAD's absent content.

Ready. No request has run.

Controlled request

Method
GET
URL
https://lab.httpclarity.com/v1/status/200
Permitted headers
None
Body
None

Browser-observed response

No response yet. The explanation and examples remain useful without JavaScript or the Worker.

Timing is browser elapsed time. Fetch hides Set-Cookie, raw wire bytes, reliable compressed size, and some redirect details.

Portable examples

cURL

              'curl' '--include' '--request' 'GET' 'https://lab.httpclarity.com/v1/status/200'

Fetch API

              const response = await fetch("https://lab.httpclarity.com/v1/status/200", {
  "method": "GET"
});
console.log(response.status, await response.text());

PHP

              <?php
$options = ['http' => [
    'method' => 'GET',
    'ignore_errors' => true,
]];
$context = stream_context_create($options);
$body = file_get_contents('https://lab.httpclarity.com/v1/status/200', false, $context);
var_dump($http_response_header, $body);

Need a full API client? Copy the generated cURL command, then import it in Hoppscotch. HTTPClarity sends no request data to Hoppscotch.

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Primary sources